Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Would you like to control your devices smartly, expose power guzzlers and automate your home - as simply and cheaply as possible? Then the Refoss P11S Smart Plug may be just the right gadget for you. In this article, I'll show you what this little helper can do, how you can use it in Home Assistant integrate and how you Win a free smart plug can!
For detailed instructions and an explanation of all configuration options, I recommend the YouTube video linked below. In this video, every single setting is explained in detail so that you receive comprehensive instructions for the exact setup. You can find any code from the video in this article so that you can use it directly without having to type it in.
Why a smart plug? The underestimated control center of your smart home
At first glance, a smart plug - i.e. a smart WiFi socket - looks like a simple gadget. However, its possibilities go far beyond switching it on and off via an app. You can use it to integrate devices into your smart home that are not smart themselves - such as coffee machines, fans, dehumidifiers or even aquarium lights. But the real game changer lies in the combination of Energy monitoring and Automation.
🔌 Make electricity consumption visible:
Many devices also draw power in standby mode. With a smart plug like the Refoss P11S, you can measure precisely, How much energy a device actually consumes - in real time and with detailed progress graphs.
📊 Increase energy efficiency:
As soon as you know which appliances are power guzzlers, you can take targeted action: switch them off automatically, limit running times or define rules such as "Switch off the appliance if it consumes less than 5 W for 30 minutes".
🧠 Making the smart home really smart:
A smart plug is often the easiest way to integrate classic devices into automations. And with support for Home Assistant, Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit you can create complex scenarios - locally, cloud-free and secure.
Technical details: Refoss P11S at a glance
The Refoss P11S is not just any smart socket. It stands out in particular due to its Broad compatibility and open API out:
- ✅ Open API & MQTT: Ideal for Home Assistant users - complete integration without cloud constraints
- ✅ HomeKit compatible: No hub required
- ✅ Performance monitoring: Shows current power (W), voltage (V), amperage (A) and total consumption (kWh) in the app
- ✅ Load disconnectionOverload protection for connected devices
- ✅ 2.4 GHz WLANStable connection without additional devices
- ✅ Compact design: Does not occupy a neighboring socket outlet
- ✅ Planning & Timer: Time-controlled switching on/off directly in the app
- ✅ Maximum load16A / 4160W - also suitable for powerful appliances
➡️ You can find more technical information directly from the manufacturer:
👉 Product page Refoss P11S
10% Discount on Refoss P11S
You get 10% discount for the Refoss P11S via my link: https://refoss.net/collections/smart-plug/products/refoss-open-api-plug-p11s?ref=sashb
What is Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is an open source platform for home automation that aims to connect and centrally control all devices in the home. It is designed to provide a unified user interface and simple, flexible control for a variety of smart home devices from different ecosystems. Here are some points in favor of Home Assistant:
- CompatibilityHome Assistant supports thousands of devices and services from various manufacturers, including lighting, air conditioning, heating, cameras, weather sensors, voice assistants and more.
- Local controlUnlike many commercial smart home platforms that rely on cloud services, Home Assistant runs locally on your network. This means increased privacy and reliability, as your smart home devices work even without an active internet connection.
- Automation and scenesOne of the main features of Home Assistant is the ability to create complex automations and scenarios. For example, you can have lights switch on automatically when it gets dark or turn on the heating when the temperature falls below a certain level.
- Simple user interfaceHome Assistant offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to monitor and control devices. This interface is fully customizable.
- Integration with voice assistantsHome Assistant can be integrated with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to enable voice-controlled control of your smart home devices.
- Open source and community-drivenSince Home Assistant is open source, it is supported by an active community that is constantly developing new integrations and improving existing ones.
- Data protection and securityAs a locally running platform, Home Assistant has the advantage that the data remains within its own network. This protects privacy and increases security compared to cloud-based solutions.
In summary, Home Assistant is a powerful and flexible solution for those who want to design their own smart home and control their devices centrally, regardless of the manufacturer or ecosystem.
Home Assistant integration & automation ideas
The connection to Home Assistant is particularly user-friendly thanks to the MQTT or HomeKit connection. After just a few steps, the plug appears in your interface as a switchable device with energy monitoring - fully controlled locally.
🔧 Examples of automations with the Refoss P11S in Home Assistant:
- Energy-saving automation:
If the energy consumption falls below 3 W → Switch off the socket
→ Ideal for washing machines or chargers that go into standby mode after charging - Consumption alarm:
If the consumption of an appliance rises above 1500 W → Push message to smartphone
→ Early warning for fan heaters, kettles or other powerful appliances - Timer with sun position:
Switch on the aquarium lighting 30 minutes after sunrise
→ Perfect coordination with daylight via Home Assistant's sun integration - Absence mode:
If all persons are absent → deactivate all plugs that are not required
→ Automatic power saving, e.g. for routers, TVs or hi-fi systems
The possibilities are almost endless - especially if you have several smart plugs in your home.
Installation of HACS and integration of Refoss RPC in Home Assistant
Incidentally, it also makes sense to integrate Meross LAN from the HACS. This offers a few other entities for the same devices as Refoss RPC.
Step 1: Installing HACS in Home Assistant
Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) is a custom add-on for Home Assistant that provides access to a variety of custom integrations and plugins developed by the community. How to install HACS:
- Check requirements: Make sure that your Home Assistant is ideally up to date.
- Download Execute script: Open a terminal for the Docker container version or the core version.
- Docker: Dial into the container with:
docker exec -it homeassistant bashor (similar) - Core: Switch to the user who is running Home Assistant
- Execute the following command for both variants:
wget -O - https://get.hacs.xyz | bash -
- Docker: Dial into the container with:
- Restarting the Home Assistant: After the files have been copied, restart Home Assistant.
- Integrate HACS into Home AssistantGo to "Configuration" > "Integrations" > "Add" in the Home Assistant interface and search for HACS. Add it and enter your GitHub token if prompted.
For the supervised version, please refer to the Documentation of HACS itself to read about the installation.
Step 2: Add Refoss RPC integration via HACS
Once HACS is installed, you can simply add Refoss RPC:
- Open HACS: Go to HACS in the Home Assistant interface.
- Search for integrationClick on "Integrations" and use the search function to search for "Refoss RPC" or click here:
- Install Refoss RPCFind Refoss RPC in the list and click on "Install". This will add the integration to your Home Assistant.
- Restarting the Home Assistant: Start Home Assistant again to apply the changes.
- Configure Refoss RPCAfter restarting, you can set up and customize Refoss RPC via "Configuration" > "Integrations" in Home Assistant.
Conclusion
With these steps, you have successfully installed HACS in your Home Assistant and added the Refoss RPC integration. This powerful combination opens up a world of additional features and customizations that have been and are being developed by the Home Assistant community. More blog posts and videos on useful integrations to follow. If you don't want to miss it, subscribe to my YouTube channel!
Win a smart plug now - here's how! 🎁
Want to try out the Refoss P11S for yourself? Then take part in my competition!
Conditions of participation:
- Watch my YouTube video on the Refoss P11S linked below
- Write one Comment under the videoin which you explain:
👉 Why do YOU want to win the Smart Plug?
👉 How would you use it in a smart home or with Home Assistant?
🏆 The best and most creative entries win! Good luck!
YouTube video implementation
🤝 Community & exchange
Refoss actively supports the DIY and home assistant community. If you have feedback or would like to exchange ideas with others, be sure to stop by here:
Every experience, automation or improvement idea helps other smart home fans!
Conclusion
The Refoss P11S is more than just an on/off switch. With precise energy monitoring, MQTT support, HomeKit connection and its open API, it offers smart home users real flexibility. If you want to make your home more efficient and smarter, this plug is a worthwhile investment - or if you're lucky, even a winner.
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